|
 |
|
 |
|
Known to the ancient Israelites as Samaria,
Sebastia, as it's called today, is located
on a hilltop 42 miles south of Megiddo and
the Jezreel Valley. For 155 years it
was the capital of the northern kingdom of
Israel and rival to Jerusalem. It was
here that Elijah of Tishbi appeared at
Ahab's palace to declare, "in the place
where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs
will lick up your blood – yes yours!"
(First Kings 21:19) |
|
|
|
 |
|
Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
|
Samaria was the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel for 155 years |
|
|
|
This prophecy was fulfilled when Ahab,
wounded in battle fighting the Arameans
(modern-day Syrians), bled to death in his
chariot. His body was driven back to Samaria
for burial. The very pool where the harlots
bathed after the royal chariot had been
rinsed of Ahab's blood may have been located
by American archeologists digging at Samaria
about a hundred years ago. During that dig,
Harvard University excavators discovered
Ahab and Jezebel's White House dubbed the
"Ivory House" in First Kings 22:39. |
|
|
|
 |
|
Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
|
Walls of Ahab's "White
House" can still be seen at Samaria |
|
|
|
Hundreds of fragments of ivories which had
once decorated palace walls and furniture
were found in the dig. These ivories,
imports from heathen Phoenicia, symbolized
for the prophets of Judah the decadent
northern kingdom. Amos, in chapter 6, verse
4, scathingly denounced the rulers of
Samaria for "lying on ivory couches" while
ignoring injustice to the poor.
|
|
|
|
Like Ahab, Herod the Great was an alpha
male, an energetic and zealous builder. He
raised Samaria from its ruins and renamed it Sebaste, the Greek name of his patron, the
Emperor Augustus. After Herod rescued his
fiancé Mariamne from Masada, he married her
at Sebastia. I imagine the royal wedding as
a catered affair, serving dishes of falafel,
chicken schnitzel and marinated eggplant! |
|
|
|
Twelve years later, in a jealous rage, Herod
had Mariamne slain. But she haunted his
dreams here at the palace and at night he
would roam from room to room madly calling
out her name. At Sebastia Herod ordered that
their two sons be strangled. They used to
twitter that Herod liked his relatives best
when they were dead. |
|
|
|
 |
|
Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
|
The Augusteum or temple
dedicated to Augustus may have been 75 feet
high |
|
|
|
 |
|
Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
|
This base probably stood
in Herod's temple dedicated to Augustus |
|
|
|
Despite its sinister and bloody history,
Samaria/Sebastia is anything but a haunted
hill. The scene is serene as we ramble
through groves of olives, pomegranates,
almonds and figs, past the Roman forum and
theater to reach the acropolis where the
temple dedicated to Augustus once stood. |
|
|
|
It was on this acropolis where Ahab and
Jezebel built their White House, the ivory
palace. To this day, the 9th century BC wall
of the royal compound built by Ahab
according to his signature style of "headers
and stretchers" is visible.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
|
Where is the notorious
Pool of Samaria?
|
|
|
|
I always looked forward to retelling the
gory story of Naboth's vineyard, Jezebel and
the harlots and of course Elijah, whom Ahab
nicknamed that "troubler of Israel." Perhaps
it's because I'm a Connecticut Yankee by
birth and I must have imbibed that Puritan
perspective where black is black and white
is white with no shades of gray. I adore
spaghetti westerns where the "bad guys" get
their just reward. Elijah is my hero. A tall
skinny guy (after all, he was fed by ravens)
with long hair, blazing eyes and ears perked
to sounds of silence. |
|
|
|
So when was the last time you visited
Samaria and read First Kings 21 and 22 on
site, sitting on stones from the Israelite
period? |
|
|
|
For me, it was thirteen and a half years and
I was eager to return. My groups
always loved the ramble through Herod's
hilltop haunt. Now that Samaria is
calm with no security issues, the ancient
Israelite capital is being visited by an
increasing number of tour groups. And
there's even a bustling restaurant on site,
which I remember serving the best tabouleh
salad I ever tasted. Yet another reason to
return to Samaria! |
|
|
|
 |
|
Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
|
Gila on the Roman street of Sebastia in April 2014 |
|
|
|
I invite you to head with me for Herod's hilltop
haunt and you will see biblical
events just dance off the pages of
scripture, right before your eyes. |
|
|
|
Copyright 2014 Gila Yudkin. Permission
needed for any reuse. |
|
|
|
Gila
Yudkin calls herself a
Connecticut Yankee living in King David's
Court. For two decades, from 1980 to
2000 she loved guiding in King Ahab's court
and is confident that the time is ripe to
return. Gila's tours are a mix of fun,
fact and fantasy as she shares her passion
for archeology and Bible. |
|
|
